Promise Me Forever (Debbie Macomber Classics) (22 page)

Since you won’t yet see any roses around, you might be wondering about the inn’s name. Explaining why I chose Rose Harbor Inn will also tell you a bit about me and how I found
myself in Cedar Cove.

“Rose” is more than simply my last name. It’s to honor my late husband. Paul Rose and I were married for less than a year before he was killed in action in Afghanistan. “Harbor” is because this is the place where I was meant to drop anchor and take refuge from the storm that followed his death. My friends said to give myself at least a year before I made any major life decisions. But six months later, I was still incapacitated by grief, and I had to do something. After searching the entire country for a suitable place to begin the next phase of my life, imagine my surprise when I found what I was looking for in my own backyard.

Buying the inn just made sense.

Though Cedar Cove isn’t at all far from Seattle, where I formerly lived and worked, it can seem like a world away from the rush and crush of the big city. It’s a place that’s brought me solace and peace just when I needed it most. And no matter what’s brought you to Cedar Cove, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to open my home to you and give you a small sample of the same welcoming spirit I feel here every day.

My mission is to make Rose Harbor Inn a place of healing and peace for all my guests. And, of course, to do everything possible to ensure you have a pleasant stay.

—Jo Marie Rose

Located on the picturesque Kitsap Peninsula, our little town sits on a quaint cove across Puget Sound from Seattle.

There’s a dedicated parking area for guests at the inn. Since just about everything you’ll want to see is in easy walking distance from Rose Harbor Inn, you can leave your car and explore Cedar Cove on foot.

The visitors’ center is ideal as a first stop. There you’ll find plenty of information on what to do in the area. There are fun, unique events year-round. In springtime, you can try your vocal prowess at the annual Seagull Calling Contest. And the entire town turns out on summer Thursdays for Concerts on the Cove.

No matter what time of year you visit or what brings you to our close-knit community, you’ll find a warm welcome. We pride ourselves on it!

While I hope you’ll spend much of your time relaxing at the inn, there are many local businesses that would be thrilled to welcome you. I’m also working on a binder with local restaurant menus and maps. So please let me know if you discover hidden gems!

Here are a few places of note:

I’m always ready to offer all my guests a fresh cup of hot coffee. But as we’re right across the sound from Seattle, your taste might run toward something more intricate than old-fashioned drip coffee. At the
Java Joint,
you can satisfy your craving for a latte or mocha—or even a concoction that tastes like cotton candy. Hopefully, you’ll find Conner at the helm of the espresso machine when you’re there. He’s a thoughtful young man who was very kind to one of my recent guests.

Abby Kincaid fondly remembers the steamed dumplings at
Wok and Roll
from when
she lived in Cedar Cove.

If you forget an essential toiletry or prescription, not to worry! The
Harbor Street Pharmacy
is close by. Patty is the pharmacist there, always ready to greet you like an old friend.

New to Harbor Street and already a local favorite is the
Victorian Tea Room.
It’s perfect for a light lunch on your own or as a rendezvous with that special someone. The Tea Room is also popular with the local chapter of the Red Hat Society.

The Candy Shop
is the ideal place to satisfy an insatiable sweet tooth. Be on the look out for their Seagull Plops, a local delicacy you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

As Willy Wonka says, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” If that’s your motto, too, then you’ll want to check out the
Pink Poodle.
It’s the kind of place with sawdust on the floor. Be aware that until the sign is repaired, you’ll need to look for the “INK POLE.”

Everyone loves the
Pancake Palace.
And not just for breakfast, either. My handyman, Mark, recommends the coconut cream pie. See if you can sit in Goldie’s section—everyone says she’s been a waitress there for years.

The
Pot Belly Deli
is the go-to place for delicious, hearty soups. It’s also a gathering place for the movers and shakers of Cedar Cove.

Whether you’re looking for flowers, a dry cleaner, or just about any other service, a quick stroll down
Harbor Street
will take you past a store that caters to your needs.

The residents of Cedar Cove have welcomed me into their community in a way that still warms my heart. I can’t tell you how many people, in the few months I’ve lived here, have walked right up to me to offer their best wishes. I’m hard at work planning another open house in hopes of meeting even more of my neighbors.

Here are a few of my friends you might see during your stay:

While we were both waiting in line at the bakery one day,
Corrie McAfee
was kind enough to introduce herself. She and her family, like me, moved to Cedar Cove from Seattle. Her husband is now a private detective after retiring from the police force. I’m sure he has some exciting stories to tell.

Bob and Peggy Beldon
own the Thyme and Tide Bed-and-Breakfast on Cranberry Point.
You’d think inn owners would see one another as competition. Far from it! We try to be very supportive of one another. In fact, I’m happy to recommend the Thyme and Tide when I’m short on rooms. I know Peggy will be as generous to her guests as she has been to me as I venture into this new career. She says fresh blueberries are the secret to her delicious muffins. I’m sure she has a few other secrets up her sleeve, too! I’m grateful to Peggy not only for all the dos and don’ts of operating Rose Harbor Inn, but also for being my new friend.

Peggy also put me in touch with
Mark Taylor.
You’re likely to see Mark coming and going during your stay. Thanks to him, the inn has a new mantel, new porch railing, and updated light fixtures. He’s also become one of my closest friends. Now, if he’d just finish that rose garden.…

Hailey Tremont
is a student at the local high school who works at the inn when we’re busy. You can find her assisting with housekeeping and generally being her sweet, helpful self.

Stylish
Olivia Lockhart
is a family court judge and also Grace Harding’s best friend—more on Grace in a second. After nearly everyone in town said I should meet these two women, they ended up introducing themselves to me at the Pot Belly Deli. I’m also quite fond of her mother. Every time I’ve met Charlotte, she’s had her knitting with her!

Grace Harding
is the librarian and a fixture of Cedar Cove. She and I share some rather difficult life experiences. As a result, I felt close to her almost immediately. She’s always there when I need to talk. One very important warning: If you pay Grace a visit at the library, you’re likely to end up taking home more than just a good book. I have living proof of that dozing on the braided rug in front of my fireplace right now. Which brings me to …

You’ve no doubt met
Rover.
When Grace Harding suggested I adopt a dog from the shelter, I could think of a dozen reasons not to. What if guests have allergies? Do I have time to take care of a dog? Then I saw Rover and it was love at first sight. Between his discipline problems and marked lack of a pedigree, no one at the shelter thought anyone would ever adopt him. But something makes me think we were meant to find one another. He’s brought me more joy than you’d imagine. Whether you find him barking hello at the front door or curled up in his favorite spot in front of the fireplace, I’m sure you’ll agree he found his place—just as I did—at Rose Harbor Inn.

The seventh book in the Blossom Street series,
Starting Now
opens with Libby Morgan facing an uncertain future when, instead of being made partner at her law firm, she loses her job. After a few months of watching her savings dwindle and waistline expand, Libby decides to retake charge of her life. She joins a gym, reconnects with an old friend, and even makes a few new ones while knitting preemie hats at A Good Yarn and volunteering in the nursery at Seattle General. The pattern for the hat included in the book would be perfect for all the babies she rocks. Libby soon finds herself in a promising new romance with Dr. Phillip Stone and on the brink of a breakthrough in her career. But one of her new friends is in trouble. Helping the young girl could open the door to all Libby’s dreams or cause her to lose everything once again—including Phillip.

Libby Morgan
An ambitious, career-minded attorney whose rise to the top is interrupted by an extended period of unemployment. Stung by the setback, Libby embarks on a journey of self-discovery that just might lead to more happiness than she ever dreamed possible.

Dr. Phillip Stone
After spurning advances from just about every woman at Seattle General, Phillip earned the nickname Dr. Heart of Stone. All that changes when he meets Libby. But can he trust Libby to put their relationship ahead of her career?

Robin Hamlin
Libby’s friend and workout partner. Robin is at her wits’ end when her budding romance with Judge Roy Bollinger hits a snag: his continued devotion to his late wife.

Molly Jo Morgan
Libby’s mother. Though she died of cancer when Libby was just thirteen, she’s still a guiding force in her adult daughter’s life.

Ava
Best friend to Lydia Goetz’s daughter Casey. Ava’s childhood has been far from ideal since her mother’s death—and it’s about to get even more complicated.

Darlene Carmichael
Ava’s grandmother. She’s raised Ava and her brother since their mother died in a car accident. But she seems to squander every opportunity to take good care of
her grandchildren.

Hershel Burkhart
Libby’s mentor and boss. Though he couldn’t save her job at the firm, Herschel does offer Libby a piece of advice that echoes in her head: find a balance between career and family.

Places to visit:

Frankie and Johnny’s Gym
A place to shed weight and frustrations—and maybe meet a handsome doctor.

Seattle General Hospital
The nursery here can be a busy place. The customers at A Good Yarn help supply little hats to keep the preemies’ heads warm.

Blossom Street Brides
is the eighth book in the Blossom Street series. Once again, A Good Yarn is a hive of activity. Lydia can’t imagine who’s behind the mysterious marketing campaign helping to increase business. The pastel baby blanket display in the window is a big draw, too—it makes a special gift. That’s exactly what brings Lauren Elliot and Bethanne Scranton, two women who barely know each other, into the store. It’s there that Bethanne’s husband makes a surprise appearance and Lauren meets his friend Rooster. It’s that chance meeting that will entwine these four lives and futures in ways that will surprise them all.

Lauren Elliot
A sales clerk at the local jewelry store who rubs shoulders with Seattle’s elite thanks to her boyfriend’s connections. But she’d rather have just one real connection to a man who fits her Husband List.

Todd Hampton
Lauren’s newscaster boyfriend. He’s too wrapped up in his career to make a commitment and too proud to let her go.

Elisa Lippencott
She and her husband, Garry, own and operate John Michael Jewelers. Elisa is concerned that their daughter has ruined her life by becoming pregnant at nineteen. She’s determined to talk some sense into her, even if she’s not making much sense in the process.

Lydia Goetz
Co-owner of A Good Yarn. A new marketing campaign causes a surge in business and even some media attention at A Good Yarn. The only problem is that neither Lydia nor her sister, Margaret, knows anything about who is behind it!

Casey Marshall
Lydia’s adopted daughter is still adjusting to being part of a real family. Lately, she’s been having nightmares. She finds solace in visits with her grandmother.

Bethanne Hamlin Scranton
Still madly in love with her husband and ecstatic that she’s about to become a grandmother for the first time. But Max is in California while she still lives in Seattle. She’s not sure what to worry about most: her marriage or her relationship with her daughter, Annie.

Max Scranton
Bethanne’s husband. He’s concerned that his wife’s ex-husband is working a little too hard to woo her back. He’s had enough of living so far from Bethanne. The only problem is deciding who’s going to move to a new state.

Grant Hamlin
It seems Bethanne’s ex-husband will do whatever it takes to rekindle their marriage. But if he’s not careful, his daughter might see him for what he really is.

Annie Hamlin
Bethanne and Grant’s daughter. She’s still convinced that her parents will get back together—if only it weren’t for Max.

Rooster Wayne
Max’s friend and business partner is looking to make a change. And though he has a failed marriage in his past, he hopes to find someone who makes him as happy as Bethanne makes Max.

Places to visit:

Hog’s Hideout
A rough-and-tumble biker bar in a less-than-desirable part of town.

John Michael Jewelers
The Blossom Street store where Brad Goetz bought Lydia’s engagement ring.

In Debbie Macomber’s eighth book in the Blossom Street series, Seattle’s buzzing with news about knitting. Baskets are popping up everywhere, each containing needles, a scarf pattern, yarn from A Good Yarn, and an invitation: Knit Me. Lydia Goetz wishes she knew whom to thank for her increased business. The extra income will help get her daughter, Casey, the therapy she needs to overcome her terrible nightmares.